Spring door-closer.



J. A. CROSS.

SPRING DOOR CLOSER.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO. 6, 1913,

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

2 SHBETS-SHBBT 1.

K/\/P)l)w V J. A. CROSS,

SPRING DOOR CLOSER.

APPLICATION III.. E1J DEG. e, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 JGHIT A. GROSS OFWESTWOOD, NEW

SPRING: DOOR-CLOSER.

Application filed December 6, 1913. Serial No. 805,097. i

Specification ofLetters Patent.

"Patented Apr. 21, rate.

To all whom it'm ag concern Be it known that 1, JOHN A. Cross, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Vestwood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements-in Spring Door-Closers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door closers, the primary object being to provide a closer which may be applied to any swinging door conveniently and without making any extensive alterations in the door frame or the door itself and which, when applied, will not prove an obstruction or unsightly object.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which will serve to close the door with which it is used in a positive manner, but which will not cause the door to slam suddenly so as to jar the same and make unnecessary noise.

A still further object is to provide a door closer whose spring may be regulated conveniently in effective tension, and which may be adjusted for use upon a door which opens in one direction, or for use upon an oppo- I sitely opening door, as desired.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a door frame and door mounted therein, showing the preferred embodiment of my invention applied thereto, the door being closed; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same showing the door: partially open; Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view taken through a portion of the door and the guide plate mounted thereon, showing the actuating arm of the closer-connected operatively] therewith, the latter being broken away;

Fig. l is a'vertical sectional view taken.

through a portion of ing the body of the closer mounted therein, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal in side elevation;

the door frame, showsectional view through the closer; Fig. 6 is.

a transverse sectional view Fig. 5; and, Fig. 7 is a taken longitudinally member.

In the drawings, I have shown the frame" with which thev device is to be used as provided adjacent to.

1 of a door in connection the hinged edge of the door 2 with a vertical 0 ening 3 in its lintel.

tie door closer 1s counter-sunk within the lower face of the lintel spanning the said on line 66 of detail sectional vicw through the saddle The base plate 4 of.

portion of the saddle member.

opening asat 3 and is secured in this'oosi- 'tion by mean's-o;f .th attaching screws 5.

This plate is provided centrally with an opcningfi in which the lorrer end of a vertical shaft? is rotatably'mounte'd. 7

A horizontally movable actuating arm 8 is providedin one of its ends with a noncircular opening 9 receiving the reduced non-circular portion .10 of the said shaft, which extends downwardly from the hear"- ing flange 11 of theshaft and. protrudes below the-plated. The bearing fla'nge 11 frictionally engages the upper face of the plate 4 and thus supports the shaft. The actuating arm is secured to the shaft-by means of a binding screw lama the washer plate 13.. The shaft 7 islprovided with a pair of right hand spiral grooves 14 which intersect a pair of left spiral grooves 15, WlllCh areofextremely high pitch. A

hollow, cylindrical .saddlefmember 1.6 1

mounted upon the shaft for rotary and longitudinal sliding movement thereon, and it is provided interiorly with a' pair 17 which, .in this instance, areleft hand threads and are adapted for engagement of threads within the grooves 15 of the shaft. The

saddle member 16 has its upper end portion enlarged as at 18 to provide a shoulder 19 which is adapted to engage an annular bearing plate 20 which embraces the lower This .bearing plate is provided in its outer periphery with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced slots 21 for the reception of the longitudinally extending guide rods 22 between which the said bearing plate is slidably mounted. The plate 20 is provided interiorly with an arcuate slot 23 which is adapted to receivezthe lug 2a .whichprojects inwardlyfrom a lockingsleeve 25, the latter being positioned upon the reduced portion of the saddle member with its inner edge abutting the. bearing plate. The locking sleeve is secured .detachably its operative position upon the saddlefmember by means of aset screw26; A stron'ghelical spring 27 to be placed under, compression when the arm 8 is operated. sofas ,to rotate the shaft 7 that the {saddle member downward; (It should be apin such .afdir'ectionj, l er e P ema? shea hs-arm 8, 9. e eque y toward the door frame to its hinged edge.

released, the spring 27 wil expand and thus cause upward movement of the saddle mem ber and consequent rotation of the shaft in reverse direction.

The .free end of the actuating arm 8 is provided with a vertical opening 28 in which the upper end of a friction pin 29 is threaded.

his pin is engageable within the longitudinal slot 30 provided in an elongated guide plate 31, which latter is secured detachably upon the upper edge of the door adjacent The friction pin 29 is slidably engagedwithin the said slot and the head 32 provided upon its lower end is constructed greater in diameter than the width of the slot so as normally to prevent disengagement of the pin from the guide member, but the remote end of the slot is provided with a widenedportion 33 through which the head of the pin may be removed conveniently without the necessity of detaching the plate 9 from the door. A longitudinal groove 3 e is formed in the upper edge of the door coextensive with the slot 30 in the guide plate, through which the head of the friction pin is freely movable. In this instance, the door 2 is mounted to swing so that,-upon being opened, the actuating arm 8 will be moved in clockwise direction (looking downwardly), thereby causing like rotation of the shaft 7 whereupon the saddle member will move downward and will this place the spring 27 under tension. When the door is released, the spring Will expand and force the saddle member upward. The resulting rotation of the shaft in counter-clockwise direction will cause the actuating arm to swing inwardly and thus close the door in a positive and steady manner, due to the sliding engagement of its friction pin 29 within the slot of the door-carrier bearin plate 31.

In order to obviate slamming of the door which would otherwise result, a reacting buffer spring 35 is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 7 between the saddle member 16 and a limiting collar or head 36 which is secured terminally upon the shaft by means of a set screw 37. The buner spring may be regulated in effective tension by adjustment of the collar 36 upon the shaft. When the device is used in connection with a heavy door, the collar 36 shouldheforced downward to place the spring 35 under considerable't'cnsion before the set screw 37 is tightened. The door closer may be adjusted for use in connection with an oppositely movable door by replacing the saddle member used in the foregoing connection by a. saddle member having right hand threads therein for engagement with the right hand grooves of the shaft. The device may als be adapted for use in connection with -a door which opens in both directions by re- -mem ed in the frame,

vided with a spiral groove,

within the shaft placing the comparatively weak buffer spring with a heavy spring equal in resistance to the main spring]. From the foregoing description, taken connection with the accompanying draw ings, it should be apparent that I have provided a simply constructed and eflicient spring closing device which may be used upon various kinds of doors. understood, however, that minor changes in the details of construction, such as fall within the scope of the appended claims, may be resorted to in practice whenever desired.

What is claimed is: 1. In a device of the combination with a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a supporting plate mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the said plate and being disposed parallel to the axis of the door pivot, the said shaft being rovided with a spiral groove, a saddle er rotatably and slidably receiving the said shaft, a spiral thread provided within class described, the

said saddle member for operative engagement within the shaft groove, means for preventing rotation of the saddle member with respect to the supporting plate during its longitudinal sliding movement upon the shaft, a flange provided upon the shaft, a compression spring mounted between the saddle member and the shaft flange, and means connecting the said shaft with the door to cause cooperative movement thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a supporting plate mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the said plate and being, disposed parallel to the axis of the door pivot, the said shaft being provided with a spiral groove, a saddle member rotatably and slidably receiving the said shaft, a spiral thread provided within said saddle member for operative engagement within the shaft groove, a guide rod connected with the said supporting plate and disposed parallel to the shaft, a bearing plate mounted fixedly upon the saddle member and having a slot therein frictionally engaged with the guide upon the shaft, a compression spring m0unted between the saddle member and .the shaft flange,

ment thereof.

3. In a device of combination with a hinged thereto,

the class described, the door frame and a door of a supporting plate mount a shaft'journaled in the said plate and being disposed parallel to the axis of the door pivot, the said shaft being pro a saddle member rotatably and slidably receivin the said shaft, a spiral thread provided Within said saddle member for operative engagement groove. means for prevent- It is to be.

rod, a flange provided and means connecting the said shaft with the door to cause cooperative move- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ing rotation of the saddle member with relongitudinal sliding movement upon the shaft, resilient means for resisting longitudinal movement of 'the saddle member in one direction, further resilient means for resisting the movement of the saddle member in the opposite direction, and means connecting the said shaft with the door to cause cooperative movement thereof.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a supporting plate mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the said plate the axis of the door pivot, the said shaft being-provided with a spiral groove, a saddle member rotatably and slidably receiving the said shaft, a spiral thread provided Within said saddle member for operative engagement within the-shaft groove, means for preventing rotation of the saddle member with respect to the supporting plate during its longitudinal sliding movement upon theshaft, resilient means for resisting longitudinal movement of the saddle member in one direction, a helical spring for resisting movement of the saddle member in the opposite direction, the said spring being positioned surrounding the shaft wlth one end abutting the said member, an adjustable sleeve mounted upon the said shaft in en gagement with the opposite end of the spring, means by which the said sleeve may be secured in adjusted position upon the shaft, and means connecting the shaft with the door to cause cooperative movement thereof.

and being disposed parallel to' 5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a supporting plate mounted in the frame, a shaft journaled in the said plate and being disposed parallel tothe axis of the door pivot, the said shaft being provided with a spiral groove, a saddle member rotatably and slidably receiving the said shaft, a spiral thread provided within said saddle member for operative engagement within the shaft groove, a guide rod connected with the said supporting plate and disposed parallel to the shaft, the said saddle member being provided With an annular enlargement at one end thereof forming a shoulder, mounted upon the said saddle member in engagement with its shoulder and having a slot in its inner periphery, a locking sleeve positioned upon the reduced portion of the saddle member in engagement with the bearing plate, a lug formed upon the inner end of the said sleeve for engagement Within the said plate slot, means for securing the said sleeve fixedly in its applied position upon the shaft, the said bearing plate having a slot in its outer peri hery frictionally engaged with the guide 1' yieldable means for resisting movement of .the saddle member in one direction, and means connectingthe said shaft with the door to cause cooperative movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two WitIlBSSGS-.

JOHN A. CROSS. [1,.- s.]

WVitnesses:

H. H. Gooowm, R. J. WAsHBoN. 

